A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to implements for holding personal care articles routinely used in bathroom showers. More particularly, the invention relates to a shower caddy for holding personal care items such as soap, shampoo, wash cloths and the like, which is adjustable in height to suit amuser""s preference, and which is interchangeably and conveniently attachable to a shower arm, wall, and exterior or door panel of a shower enclosure or stall.
B. Description of Background Art
Showers used in homes, hotels and other such structures usually are of two main types. One such shower type includes a bathtub, and, located above the tub, a water supply pipe called a shower arm terminating in a spray nozzle head, the arm protruding from a wall forming part of a structure which partially encloses the shower. Access to the bathtub is typically provided through an opening adjacent to a longer side of the tub. Usually, the opening is closeable by a shower curtain slidably mounted on a shower rod which spans the opening near the upper end of the shower enclosure, or by one or more sliding or swinging doors. A second type of shower in common use consists essentially of a relatively smaller enclosure or stall which has a shower arm and head protruding from a wall, and which is closeable by a curtain, or by a sliding or swinging door.
In addition to bar soap or liquid soap and wash cloths customarily used by people in bathroom showers, a variety of other articles related to personal hygiene are frequently used when showering. Such articles include containers of shampoo and hair conditioner, lotions, shavers, shaving cream, combs, brushes, and the like. While some shower enclosures are provided with one or more small shelves or ledges on which such personal hygiene items may be placed, many shower enclosure are devoid of any convenient location of adequate size for storing such items. Moreover, the shelves or ledges provided in typical shower enclosures tend to be relatively small, thereby affording insufficient space for storing articles without the likelihood of the articles being accidentally dislodged and falling to the floor of the shower enclosure.
In recognition of the need for providing primary or additional storage space for articles of personal hygiene used in showers, a wide variety of holders or xe2x80x9cshower caddiesxe2x80x9d for storing such accessory articles have been disclosed and marketed. One type of shower caddy currently available is so constructed as to be readily attached to a shower arm, by hanging the caddy on the arm, for example. Another type of shower caddy presently in use is provided with a hook which permits the caddy to be hung on the outer enclosure panel or door of a shower enclosure. Formerly there were no existing shower caddies which could be readily reconfigured to enable the caddy to be attached to either a shower head or enclosure panel. However, In U.S. patent application No. 09/694,907, filed Oct. 24, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,520,351 the present inventor disclosed a Reversible Shower Caddy interchangeably attachable to a shower arm and shower enclosure panel. The caddy described therein includes a pair of laterally spaced apart, straight vertical stanchion rods, each having at the upper end thereof a short upper end arm which protrudes perpendicularly forward from a longer lower portion of the stanchion. An upper transverse bracket member removably attachable at outer lateral ends thereof to the stanchions has a laterally centrally located central arch section having an upwardly concave opening adapted to fit over a shower arm pipe and thereby suspend the caddy frame therefrom. The reversible shower caddy includes a plurality of article storage shelves which are removably attached to the stanchions at adjustable heights, the shelves protruding perpendicularly forward from the stanchions when the caddy is hung from a shower head. A pair of laterally opposed hooks protruding forward from the stanchions each has an outer portion angled downwardly and rearwardly towards a stanchion, forming therebetween an upwardly facing opening for receiving the upper edge of a shower enclosure panel or door. With shelves removed from the front sides of the stanchions and re-attached to the rear sides thereof, the caddy may be positioned with the openings of the hooks above the upper edge wall of a shower enclosure panel or door, thereby enabling the panels to be insertably received within the openings of the hooks, and thereby suspending the caddy on the panel.
The present invention was conceived of to provide a shower caddy which includes means for suspending the caddy interchangeably from a shower arm or enclosure panel at an adjustable height, and which may also be mounted to the wall of a shower enclosure.
An object of the present invention is to provide a shower caddy for holding personal hygiene articles typically used by a person showering, such as shampoo and soap, the shower caddy including means for interchangeably fastening the caddy to a shower head, wall and enclosure panel.
Another object of the invention is to provide an interchangeably mountable shower caddy which includes a frame including article storage means, and a hanger rod having at an upper end portion thereof means for interchangeably suspending the rod from a shower head and shower enclosure panel, and a lower end portion secureable to the frame at an adjustable height by adjustable fastening means.
Another object of the invention is to provide a shower caddy including a vertically disposed frame having at least one horizontally disposed article storage shelf protruding forward from the frame, the shelf having a flat rear surface secureable to a shower wall by a flat adhesive fastener, and a hanger rod having at an upper end portion thereof a hook portion having a plurality of downward facing openings adapted to suspending the rod interchangeably from a shower head and enclosure wall, and a lower end portion secured to the frame by fastening means enabling adjustment of the height of the frame relative to the hook.
Another object of the invention is to provide a shower caddy including a generally planar, vertically disposed frame having at least one horizontally disposed article storage shelf protruding forward from the frame, a mirror attached to the frame, a flat rear surface securable to a shower enclosure wall by a thin, flat adhesive fastener, and a hanger rod interchangeably suspendable from a shower head and shower enclosure panel and fastened to the frame at an adjustable height.
Various other objects and advantages of the present invention, and its most novel features, will become apparent to those skilled in the art by perusing the accompanying specification, drawings and claims.
It is to be understood that although the invention disclosed herein is fully capable of achieving the objects and providing the advantages described, the characteristics of the invention described herein are merely illustrative of the preferred embodiments. Accordingly, I do not intend that the scope of my exclusive rights and privileges in the invention be limited to details of the embodiments described. I do intend that equivalents, adaptations and modifications of the invention reasonably inferable from the description contained herein be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Briefly stated, the present invention comprehends an improved shower caddy for holding items typically used in a bathroom shower, e.g., bottles or tubes containing shampoo, hair conditioner and other such preparations, as well as wash cloths, shavers, combs, hair brushes, tooth brushes and the like. A shower caddy according to the present invention includes a vertically disposed, planar wire frame and at least one article storage shelf attached to the frame. Preferably, the caddy has upper and lower article storage shelves located above and below a face mirror attached to the frame. The shower caddy according to the present invention includes a vertically disposed hanger rod which protrudes upwardly from the frame at an adjustable height. In a preferred embodiment, height adjustability is provided by a lower straight, shank portion of the hanger rod being vertically slidably held within the longitudinally disposed bore of a tubular frame member. The shank is frictionally secured at an adjustable height by tightening onto the shank the inner end of a thumb screw received in a radially disposed hole which penetrates the bore and an external wall of the tubular member.
According to the invention, the hanger rod, which preferably is fabricated from steel rod stock bent into uniplanar shape, is provided at the upper end of a straight lower shank portion thereof with an angled and curved hook portion having an upwardly concave arch-shaped portion, a rearwardly disposed horizontal arm, and a vertically disposed rear leg terminated at the lower end thereof by an upwardly curved rear end portion capped by a ball. With the shank of the hanger rod rotated within the tubular frame member bore to orient the plane of the hanger rod parallel to the frame, the caddy is conveniently attachable to a tubular shower pipe or arm by lifting the caddy to position the arc-shaped portion of the hanger rod over the shower arm, thereby suspending the hanger rod and caddy frame from the shower head. With the shank of the hanger rod rotated to orient the plane of the hook portion of the hanger rod perpendicular to the plane of the frame, the caddy is conveniently attachable to a relatively thin shower enclosure panel or door by positioning the arch-shaped portion of the hanger rod over the upper horizontal edge of the panel or door, thereby suspending the hanger rod and caddy frame from the shower head. Similarly, the caddy can be suspended from a relatively thicker shower enclosure or door panel by positioning a rectangularly-shaped, upwardly concave opening formed between the shank, the rear leg and rear horizontal arm of the hanger rod hook, and the upper vertical end portion of the hanger rod shank, over the upper edge of the panel or door. A preferred embodiment of a height adjustable shower caddy according to the present invention includes upper and lower trays having coplanar vertically disposed rear surfaces, which are optionally provided with pressure sensitive adhesive pads which may be used to secure the caddy to a wall.